Where The Waters Mingle by Mary Hyre 4/2/67
Mary Hyre was one of the first, and one of the most persistent, to cover Mothman and other strangeness in Point Pleasant. In her column, “Where The Waters Mingle,” in the Athens, Ohio Messenger, she regularly reported the latest sightings and speculations. ''The following is the column from the Athens, Ohio Messengers on ''Sunday, April 2nd 1967: People are really becoming interested in UFO sightings, not only in this area but in other communities, too. In fact, they are forming groups and holding "watch-parties." I was on vacation this past week and Friday John Keel of New York, a well known ufologist, lecturer and writer, and I, appeared on the "Jackie Oblinger Show" on WCHS - TV in Charleston and discussed recent sightings of unidentified flying objects in West Virginia. Jackie, herself, said that she made a UFO sighting last week. She described the object as having bright lights, silent and unlike anything one would usually see in the sky. She and about 15 neighbors watched the object for several minutes. She said that she contacted the Air Force and was told that no aircraft was in the area except for regularly scheduled flights. Recently I also had the opportunity to meet and talk with Tad Jones of Cross Lanes, who says he witnessed a landing of a UFO Jan. 19 on Interstate 64 near Institute. He came across the object hovering over the middle of the highway, he said. Jones, Keel and I viewed this area Friday and found some very strange footprints, similar to those that were seen in the abandoned power plant in the TNT area where the "monster" was first sighted on Nov. 15 of last year. Also at the scene of the Jones sighting there was a lone foot-print that looked like that of a barefooted man. There were other footprints that looked like they were made by something that had hoofs and claws something that must have weighed at least 200 pounds. I also learned that in this same Interstate 64 area several people have reported seeing a monster or "moth man." This week a Point Pleasant couple told me that while traveling on Route 35 at dusk one day last December, a creature hovered over their car for about two miles. They first noticed it when they saw the people in the car in front of them looking back. Another car was following them. All three cars increased their speed up to about 70 m.p.h. but the creature stayed right with them. When they slowed down, it did too, they said. The couple said that it had a wingspan as wide as the highway. This makes 11 different parties who have reported seeing this creature, whatever it is. Quite possibly others have seen it but have not reported it. The family who saw it on Route 35 recently said they believed it was operated by some mechanical device. Friday night I received more calls of sightings over Point Pleasant. Keel, who has been doing extensive research in UFO sightings, says he doesn't know if these sightings in the Point Pleasant area are "the real thing" but he doesn't say they are not. In the near future he will have an article in one of the national magazines about sightings in this area. He is also writing a book in which he will refer to West Virginia sightings. If I interviewed all the people who report seeing unidentified flying objects I would have a full time job, but I am interested in hearing about sightings even if I cannot contact everyone of the witnesses. I run into people who tell me that they saw something several weeks or months ago but that they were afraid they would be laughed at if they told about it. But if you see something, there is nothing to be ashamed of in telling the truth. Perhaps if everyone would report their sightings, these mysteries might soon be cleared up. Category:Newspapers